Homemade Pizza!

I've always wanted to make my own pizza, but was under the notion that it would cost me more money to make my own than to buy one. I also thought that it took a lot of effort and it just didn't seem worth it. The total cost of my two pizza's was probably about 6 dollars, so it's definitely much cheaper than buying one, and it wasn't much effort at all! My pizza was also a lot healthier than any pizza I've ever ordered, and not full of grease. The only thing that took a while was waiting for the dough to rise, but I made mine the night before and it turned out great!

Prep Time:
25 Min
Cook Time:
20 Min
Ready In:
2 Hrs 45 Min

For the Crust:
Ingredients
* 1 teaspoon white sugar
* 1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
* 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 2 cups whole wheat flour
* 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Directions

1. In a large bowl, dissolve sugar in warm water. Sprinkle yeast over the top, and let stand for about 10 minutes, until foamy.
2. Stir the olive oil and salt into the yeast mixture, then mix in the whole wheat flour and 1 cup of the all-purpose flour until dough starts to come together. Tip dough out onto a surface floured with the remaining all-purpose flour, and knead until all of the flour has been absorbed, and the ball of dough becomes smooth, about 10 minutes. Place dough in an oiled bowl, and turn to coat the surface. Cover loosely with a towel, and let stand in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
3. When the dough is doubled, tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and divide into 2 pieces for 2 thin crust, or leave whole to make one thick crust. Form into a tight ball. Let rise for about 45 minutes, until doubled.
4. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Roll a ball of dough with a rolling pin until it will not stretch any further. Then, drape it over both of your fists, and gently pull the edges outward, while rotating the crust. When the circle has reached the desired size, place on a well oiled pizza pan. Top pizza with your favorite toppings, such as sauce, cheese, meats, or vegetables. For my cheese I used mozarrella.
5. Bake for 16 to 20 minutes (depending on thickness) in the preheated oven, until the crust is crisp and golden at the edges, and cheese is melted on the top.


For the Sauce:
#
Sauce Ingredients

* I 15oz. Can tomato sauce
* 2 Teaspoons honey or sugar
* 1/4 Teaspoon cayenne powder
* 2 Teaspoons fresh basil, or 1 teaspoon dried
* 1/2 Teaspoon dried Oregano
* 1 Clove minced garlic
* Salt to taste

#
Sauce Preparation

* Pour tomato sauce into a small saucepan. Add all other ingredients, and simmer for 15 minutes or so to infuse flavors. Spread half of the sauce on each pizza, leaving about of an inch of space around the edges.


-I made my pizza with my vegetarian friend Kari and we put mushrooms, onions, and tomatoes on ours, but my husband topped his pizza with tomatoes and ham; both turned out great!